making card scrapers?

[Justin Cavender]

I picked up a couple of warranted superior saws today for the purpose of making scrapers how do I go about doing this?:D

[Stephen Shepherd]

I use a rather large pair of tin snips (metal cutting shears) to cut them out. I use a soapstone to mark the blade and just cut them to shape.

I do get some bending, but it straightens out with a few well placed blows from a hammer. I then grind and draw file them to the final shape and turn the burrs.

Stephen

[Justin Cavender]

would a metal chopsaw work or will it do something to the temper in them?

[Tom Adger]

I had an old handsaw that I no longer used. I marked off the size I wanted(3"+/- x 6"+/-), then used my dremel tool with the fiberglass cutoff wheel to cut it out. Then to my bench grinder for some rough smoothing, then a hand file to finish it.

By the way. I have read a lot about turning over a burr on the edge, etc. Forget it. I use my scraper so much, I would be forever "turning over the burr". I put my mill file in my vise, and whenever the scraper is getting a little dull, I do about 4 strokes, reverse it, 4 strokes, then the same with the opposite edge.

[Johnny Kleso]

Unless the steel is in very good condition you might not want to waste the time making scrapers unless its just for glue..

If the steel is pitted it would be a waiste of time..

I had the same idea several years ago and have learned it is better to just buy some spring steel stock from Mcmaster or MSC and cut that to sizes you want than use a old rusty and pitted saw blade...

[Justin Cavender]

It has no pitting but minor surface rust I cleaned up a piece and my first attempt at sharpening got me half dust half shavings but I used a snap-on screwdriver as a burnisher I think it should be hard enough.

[Stephen Shepherd]

Johnny is right about pitted steel being a problem. I recently made a set of luthier scrapers from some very pitted steel. It required that I grind the sides smooth to be able to turn a decent edge.

But the pitting steel had a nice pattern, so I just ground the edge and left the pitting pattern on the rest of the blade. It was more work, it is much easier to use un-pitted steel.

Stephen

[george wilson]

If you have a smooth topped machinist's vise,and a cold chisel,you can readily cut spring steel. I've cut it 1/16" thick from old large sawmill bandsaw blades. Clamp the steel with the cuting line exactly along the top of the steel vise jaws. Hold the cold chisel so that its cutting edge is down against the vise jaws. Hold it also a bit sideways so it cuts starting on 1 edge. Use a hammer,and it will shear the steel right along the vise jaws. Hammer,and walk the chisel right along. Just barely sever the steel so it won't distort the steel that is ABOVE the vise jaws too much. It won't distort the steel below the jaws at all.

[James Scheffler]

Unless the steel is in very good condition you might not want to waste the time making scrapers unless its just for glue..

If the steel is pitted it would be a waiste of time..

I had the same idea several years ago and have learned it is better to just buy some spring steel stock from Mcmaster or MSC and cut that to sizes you want than use a old rusty and pitted saw blade...

I know tool steel bar stock generally comes in the annealed state, so you have to harden and temper it. Does spring steel in sheets come hardened/tempered? I just haven't heard of anyone doing it. Or is it hard enough for scraping or handsaw blade purposes without heat treating?

Thanks,
Jim

[Tim Put]

Half of what makes it spring steel is the spring temper. Otherwise it's just 1095 or some-such steel.

[george wilson]

Spring steel sheet comes tempered. Hardness is usually stated,and should be about 52 rockwell for 1095. It can be lower,about 49 rockwell,but 52 is better,and what we made our saws from.

[harry strasil]

I just use the left over parts from handsaw blades I have cut webs for my bowsaws out of.

[george wilson]

I made them the same way,harry,filing near the edges smooth to remove the pits,before I got a bunch of spring steel.